Only Smile in the Dark
by Morticia Galena
Summary: Sequal to Only Happy when it Rains. Trouble has come back for Shauna and Chase.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Only Smile in the Dark  
Author: Melissa Black  
Email: QueenofSiam@go.com  
Spoilers: NW/Only Happy When it Rains  
Disclaimers: Nw belongs to LJS, anything unrecognised is mine.  
Rating: 15  
Summary: Shauna Arlin and Chase Redfern are back. The relationship between the Night People and Daybreakers of Black Falls is rather iffy, as with their soulmate connection. Unfortunately, trouble is back too, in the name of a vampire serial killer. This time, Shauna is more concerned, as her one and only just happens to be a vampire. Who said being soulmates was easy?  
Notes: pleas for feedback. Due to popular demand I finally came up with a sequel for Only happy when it rains.   
  
Part 1  
  
Darkness. A layer of blue-black covering the sky. Night. When the creatures of the dark come out to play.   
  
The figure stood under the tree in the park, just an ordinary person anyone might think.   
  
Hardly. A person with a purpose. A need. A driven desire.  
  
Revenge was such a powerful emotion, fuelled by hatred. A deadly combination. An inspiration, something to drive you forward, to give meanings to your days and nights.  
  
Of course, a good revenge plan took time. The figure made a pouty face. Time and patience was not one of her greatest things.  
  
But it would all be worth it in the end.   
  
* * *  
  
He knew he was being followed. Zane looked around the deserted park, wondering what was going on. He frowned, eyes probing the darkness. He knew someone was there, but the someone was very good at hiding.  
  
His eyes scanned over the empty playground, across the lake, the moonlight reflecting off its still surface. Everything looked peaceful. Ordinary. Zane shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets, trying to ignore the prickling feeling of eyes on him.   
  
He didn't care. Didn't. His lips curled. Well, even if someone was stupid enough to follow him, they'd discover that vampires weren't legends after all.  
  
A branch cracking behind him sounded as loud as a gun shot, and he whirled around, ready to kill the idiot who was there. This person was really pissing him off now, and pissing off a vampire was not a smart thing to do.  
  
"Is there a problem?"  
  
Zane blinked, looking at the girl behind him. She looked around eighteen, nineteen, and...drop dead gorgeous. Midnight hair fell to her shoulders and sapphire blue eyes blazed in a stunning face that could have belonged to a high fashion mode.   
  
"No," he said, giving her one of his best smiles. "No problem at all. Haven't seen you around before."  
  
The girl fell into step with him, pushing a strand of that wonderful midnight hair out her eyes. "No, I'm new, I just moved here."  
  
Zane grinned at her. She was way to hot to be vermin. It would really be a shame is he had to kill her. "Zane Mandrill," he offered.  
  
"Saturn Redfern," she answered, her eyes twinkling.   
  
Zane was pleased. She was a Redfern. A stroke of luck for him. "I can help you get - settled in," he suggested.  
  
Saturn Redfern laughed, a beautiful, melodious sound, but with cold, sharp edges to it like broken glass. "You're a naughty boy, Zane Mandrill, what would your girlfriend say?"  
  
Zane was surprised. If she'd only just gotten here how did she know he had a girlfriend. Luna was going to kill him...  
  
"Wrong." There was something - wrong - about Saturn Redfern. Zane couldn't quite put his finger on what it was - it was more of a feeling than anything else. What was wrong?  
  
"I'm gonna kill you now," she said. He barely had time to be shocked Or surprised before the stake slammed into his heart. He was dead within seconds.  
* * *  
  
Saturn smiled, a rush of pleasure running through her as she watched the body turn from so handsome, into something so ugly. Mummified, leathery, ancient.  
  
Dead.  
  
Good.   
  
Scum. Monsters. They all deserved to die. The more she got, the better. She sauntered off into the night, hips swaying, eyes glittering.   
  
They were going to so be so sorry they'd messed with her...  
  
* * * 


	2. Part 2

Part 2  
  
"So how are things going with you and Chase at the moment?" Senna asked.  
  
Shauna Arlin sighed heavily, sitting in class, not really paying attention to the lecture. Things had pretty much gotten back to normal, the Night People were back to being pains in the asses again. And Chase Redfern, her unexpected soulmate, was no exception.  
  
"He's still bugging the hell out of me," she admitted with a dry smile. Chase sat at the back of the room. Shauna glanced over at him, he glared at her, his Redfern eyes flashing an annoyed violent. So he'd heard. He couldn't complain, it was true.  
  
"I thought soulmates were supposed to be this wonderful magic thing when everything turns sappy and dreamy," Senna said with a grin.  
  
Shauna laughed, pushing her dark bangs out her hazel eyes. "Can you really see me and Chase all sappy and dreamy?" she snorted. She sighed a second time. "He's still trying to keep his reputation up with the Night World scum," she said, irritated.   
  
Something like a wave of darkness stormed into the classroom. A shadow fell over both Shauna and Senna. Shauna's eyes rolled. "Oh gee, look who it is." Shauna's tone dripped heavily with sarcasm.  
  
Luna Blackthorn did not look in the mood for Shauna's sarcastic sense of humour. In fact, she looked royally pissed off, her black hair flying wildly around her, silvery eyes shining with fury.  
  
"What side of whose bed did you wake up on?" Luna's cousin, Marlon snickered.   
  
Luna gave him a withering glare. "Thanks a lot," she snapped at Shauna.  
  
Shauna blinked in confusion. "What did I do?" she protested.  
  
"Cause you're boyfriend's being an asshole you cheer yourself by killing mine," Luna snapped, taking her seat, still fuming.  
  
Shauna was confused. "I haven't killed anyone," she said.   
  
Luna scowled, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Well someone did."  
  
Shauna and Senna exchanged glances. They seemed to have come to some sort of agreement with the Night People, after the last time they had been forced to work together. The Night People (had been very reluctant) to agree to not kill the Daybreakers, and the Daybreak vampire hunters, wouldn't kill the Night People.  
  
Now Zane Redfern had been murdered.   
  
Did that mean something?  
  
* * *  
  
Saturn sauntered into the classroom, and was well aware that every pair of eyes was on her. She smirked as she found her way to a desk. She loved making an entrance. Her eyes moved over the students as she graceful sat down and started taking out a note book and pens.   
  
She could see a small number of Night People in the room, some witches, and a few vamps. Maybe a shapeshifter somewhere.   
  
The vamp she wanted was sitting at the back of the classroom. Blond and gorgeous as she remembered. He was ogling her as every other boy was. A pretty dark haired girl at the front of the room with a black dahlia on her necklace was giving her the evil eye. Saturn just smiled innocently.  
  
So Chase Redfern had gotten himself a new girlfriend then? Pity for her. The girlfriend. Saturn wondered how much the girl knew about her yummy little Chase Redfern.   
  
Of course, looking at her now, he would never recognise Saturn in a million years. He was going to pay for what he did to her.  
  
* * *  
  
Shauna frowned, watching the new girl walk into the classroom. Something about the girl made her skin rise in goosebumps. It wasn't jealous cause the girl was a knock-out. It was...she didn't know what. Just an instinctive feeling of dislike. She noticed Luna and Dakota didn't look too pleased either.   
  
Senna noticed her expression. "Do I see a little green-eyed monster emerging?" she asked, smiling a little.  
  
Shauna glared at her. "I am *not* jealous," she snapped. But considering the way that no guy in the room could seem to take his attention from the girl, maybe she should be.   
  
She turned her attention to the front of the room. She could feel an uncomfortable prickling sensation running over her skin. She tried not to look over her shoulder. She found herself actually thing about the mystery of Luna's dead new boyfriend.   
  
Was there a new vampire hunter in town? Her thoughts strayed to the new girl. There was no way she was a vampire *hunter*. She was a Night Person, without question.  
  
Class dragged on, seemingly endless, but finally the bell rang and it was lunch time. As Shauna stood up together her things she felt a blast of cold air going past. She looked up, meeting the new girl's eyes, that changed colour, shifting like the lights in a glacier. A Redfern. What Shauna didn't understand was the girl's expression, somewhere between a glare, amusement, and something else.  
  
Then the girl turned away and walked on, head held high, midnight hair cascading around her slender shoulders. Shauna didn't bother trying to hide a shudder.  
  
"What's *her* problem?" Senna muttered as they headed down to the cafeteria.   
  
Shauna shrugged. "I don't know," she said, frowning. "But I think we'd better keep an eye on her."  
  
It wasn't just jealousy and natural dislike of the girl, something about her said the girl could not be trusted. Shauna didn't know why, and wondered if she really wanted to.  
  
* * * 


	3. Part 3

Part 3  
  
"I don't see why we can't think of something better to do," Chase grumbled, pulling his car up in front of the movie theatre.  
  
Shauna had to work on keeping her temper. She wanted to be with him, to do something normal, and what was more normal for a date than going to the movies? Chase had wanted to take her to some big Night World club in the next town, but Shauna wasn't much of a clubbing person. So she had made him come to the movies.   
  
"Oh stop whining, we'll go see whatever you want to, if that'll shut up," she snapped at him, getting out the car.  
  
Chase smiled faintly, slipping his arm around her shoulder. "Does that mean I can make you sit through *Tomb Raider* then?"  
  
Shauna's eyes rolled. Hormone alert, she thought dryly, allowing Chase to drag her into the theatre. She had wanted to see something a little more cultural, but there weren't a lot of movies with culture on. It was either *Tomb Raider* or *Scary Movie 2.* Neither of those movies really appealed to her, but it was the only way to shut Chase up.  
  
As they headed into the theatre she spotted Marlon Blackthorn with the new girl, Saturn Redfern. Chase didn't look too happy about that. "He's fast," he muttered sourly.  
  
Shauna glared at him. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous," she snapped as they found seats.  
  
Chase sighed and rolled his eyes. "Get a life."  
  
"I have one," she snorted back at him.  
  
Saturn was looking around, and her eyes met Shauna's directly. Her expression was cold and unfriendly as she glared at her and Chase. The coldness of her gaze made Shauna shiver.  
  
"What's her deal?" Chase muttered.  
  
Shauna shrugged. "I don't know," she whispered.  
  
When the lights dimmed the girl turned away. Shauna sank down in her seat and snuggled closer to Chase. She didn't know what bothered her so much about Saturn Redfern. Maybe it was better to avoid her.  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
  
Saturn turned her attention away from Chase and his stupid vampire hunter girlfriend. She tried to concentrate on the movie, but her anger was too great and filled most of her mind.  
  
How dare he be so *happy*, and right in front of her as well! She clenched her fists, seeing a cloud of red. Patience, she told herself. Her plan would take time, and she couldn't do it correctly if all she could see was red fury.  
  
She pushed the fury to the background, relived when the movie was finally over and Marlon led her outside. She let him take her up to a popular parking spot, a small overlook on a cliff over looking the town.  
  
Nice and private. Good.  
  
Finally, Marlon stopped trying to kiss her, and glared at her, annoyed. "God, you're like a block of ice. Lighten up for a minute, will you."  
  
Saturn chuckled dryly. "Oh I'm lightening up enough," she said, reaching into her purse.  
  
"What's that?" Marlon asked suspiciously, seeing her pulling something out.   
  
Saturn gave him a mysterious smile. "Want to see?"  
  
His dark head tilted. "I guess."  
  
Without saying anything else she plunged the homemade stake into his heart, and watched him crumble before her eyes. She smiled as she watched the skin stretch over his bones, withering until there was nothing left but a pile of old bones.  
  
"You asked for it," she muttered. She got out of the car and started heading home, smiling in the darkness of the night.  
  
* * * 


	4. Part 4

Part 4  
  
When Shauna arrived at school the next morning a strange sense of déjà vu was almost overwhelming. The first person she saw when she entered her first class was Saturn Redfern, who sat at the back of the room, talking with a few cheerleaders. Her expression was saddened, and surprised, turning to one of anger and hatred when she saw Shauna.   
  
Shauna was annoyed. Every time this girl looked at her, it was glare. They'd never met! They'd never exchanged a word before. So why did she hate Shauna so much?  
  
Shauna deliberately turned her back and ignored Saturn, heading to her own seat. Senna was whispering excitedly to another girl beside her. She turned when she saw Shauna.   
  
"Guess what happened last night?" Senna said, sounding rather smug. Her expression was trying to show she wasn't pleased about something, but was failing miserably.   
  
"What?" Shauna asked, glancing around she could see a buzz of - something - running through the students, excitement, fear, nervousness. What was going on?  
  
"Marlon Blackthorn was murdered last night," Senna said.  
  
Shauna was surprised. Marlon? He had been alive when she'd seen him last night - with the new girl, Saturn. She frowned. That was a little ominous, wasn't it.   
  
Before she could ask anymore, the teacher came in and class started. Half way through the lecture, Luna walked in, looking somewhere between pissed off and relieved. Dakota was with her.   
  
~Meeting at lunch, usual room,~ the words were Luna's voice in Shauna's mind. Shauna and Senna exchanged glances. First Zane had snuffed it, and then Marlon had followed in the same manner.   
  
Shauna groaned silently. It didn't mean what Shauna thought it did...  
  
When lunch came she made her way to the classroom where the Night People generally had meetings when there was a problem. Thia and some of the other Daybreakers were there.   
  
Thia looked annoyed. "Luna called the meeting, where the hell is she?" she muttered.  
  
"Someone want to inform me on what the hell is going on?" Shauna asked, taking a seat.  
  
Senna shrugged. "We don't know. We seem to be getting a dead body problem again."  
  
  
  
Before anyone else could say anything Luna and her Night People arrived. Luna sat down opposite Thia, her Night People standing loyally behind her. They were on opposite sides again. Shauna frowned, noticing that Chase was with the Night People.   
  
Vampires, she thought sourly. What a pain in the ass they were.   
  
"I have a question," Luna said angrily. "Why are you people out to hurt me? First my new boyfriend, then my cousin, what did I do?"  
  
Thia drummed impatient fingernails on the table top. "We didn't kill Zane or Marlon."  
  
Dakota groaned, taking a seat. "Not again," she whined. "We can barely go three weeks without a serial killer problem."  
  
Senna smiled faintly. "Yeah, we've got our own personal Hellmouth."  
  
Luna looked blank. "What?"  
  
Thia was grinning. "Pop culture reference," she added.  
  
The Night People still looked blank. They obviously didn't get the joke. Shauna sighed and rolled her eyes. "It's not worth explaining." So it was wha6t she was thinking. A new serial killer in town. Great.   
  
"Marlon was with that new girl last night," she said after a moment's thought. "We saw them together at the movies."  
  
"Why would she want to kill him?" Dakota asked.   
  
"Because he's an asshole?" Senna offered. Shauna didn't say anything. Surprisingly it was Luna who said, "She's got a point there. But still, if someone was going to kill him for that they'd have done it ages ago."  
  
"She's been giving you the evil eye ever since she got here. You already know her or something?" Thia asked, ignoring Luna.  
  
Shauna frowned. "I don't. I've never met the girl." Maybe it was something she should find out. Maybe the girl had had a boyfriend or something that she'd staked at one point. She didn't know.   
  
"So we've got a problem," Luna said dryly. "How do we solve it?"  
  
No one said anything. Probably because no one knew the answer to the question.  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
  
Saturn smiled to herself, pleased at the chaos that she seemed to be creating amongst the students. She could feel the fear as she walked down the halls. They were all afraid of the idea of being stalked by a psycho.   
  
From the whispers, she learned Black Falls seemed to have a bit of a problem with serial killers. She smirked. Sounded like her kind of place. However, the other Night People didn't exactly seem too broken up about the death of one of their own.  
  
The Daybreakers weren't any better. Saturn frowned, wondering if there was some sort of conspiracy between them.  
  
She sat alone in the cafeteria, noticing that none of them were around. It made her suspicious. They couldn't have figured it out already, could they...?  
  
No. Of course not. They had no idea it was her. Why would they suspect her anyway?   
  
Her eyes narrowed as she spotted Chase sauntering in with his arm around Shauna's shoulder. Did *nothing* affect this guy? She'd killed one of his best friends, and now he was acting like nothing had happened?  
  
She still hadn't forgotten what he'd done to her, what he was responsible for. She'd get him back. He'd pay.  
  
But how did she make him suffer? Her eyes narrowed. How dare he be so mushy with that stupid girlfriend of his right in front of her, and...  
  
An idea was starting to form in her mind. Saturn smirked to herself. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid, when the idea was right before her eyes.   
  
It would only be a matter of time before her plan was completed, and successful.   
  
Revenge was sweet.  
  
* * *  
  
After a routine check around the small town Shauna finally turned to head home. She still had to look out for vampire rogues, who thought they could get away with killing people in a small town and not being noticed.  
  
Not here. She was a little disappointed, however, that there hadn't been any rogues wandering around tonight. No psychos trying to kill people either. It was eerily peaceful.   
  
It made her think every shadow was something going to jump out at her. Every sound was gun shot loud. Shauna told herself she was just being paranoid. When she heard footsteps behind her, she whirled around, stake held high.  
  
Only to find herself facing Saturn Redfern, who was giving her a funny look. "You're going to stake me? What did I do?"  
  
Shauna flushed. She still felt kind of reluctant to put the stake away. She didn't like Saturn much, the girl made her extremely uncomfortable. "Sorry," she muttered, forcing herself to put the stake in her purse. "Just a routine check."  
  
They walked on, past a set of traffic lights in silence. Shauna found herself wishing Saturn would turn off soon and leave her alone. Saturn hadn't done anything yet, but Shauna couldn't be sure she wouldn't.   
  
"How well do you know Chase Redfern?" Saturn asked rather bluntly.   
  
Shauna was confused. She knew the girl had been glaring at Chase ever since she had arrived in town. All Shauna could figure was the girl had been one of Chase's old girlfriends, he'd dumped her and she'd gotten pissed at him. "Pretty well," she answered. "Why?"  
  
Saturn laughed. The sound was dry and cruel. "Maybe you don't know your boyfriend as well as you think you do."  
  
Shauna didn't like the girl's tone, or where the conversation was going. It was bad enough being soulmates with a vampire. She didn't want to here what he had been getting up to before he'd met her. "What'd you mean?"  
  
When Saturn turned back to her, her face had changed. Her eyes were shimmering liquid silver, and her canine teeth had extended to delicate, curved fangs. "Maybe you should ask him."   
  
Shauna just stared.  
  
The next thing she knew Saturn had grabbed her shoulders, and was trying to get her teeth into Shauna's throat.  
  
* * * 


	5. Part 5

Shauna struggled, or tried to. She had never felt vampire teeth in her throat before. It was her worst nightmare, to have vampire fangs in her flesh, drawing out her blood, draining her life away...  
  
"Don't bother struggling," Saturn was saying, her voice distorted by her sharpened teeth. "It'll just hurt more."  
  
"I'm gonna hurt *you* in a minute," Shauna hissed, spitting in the monster's face. She kneed Saturn hard in the groin. Saturn cursed, temporarily loosing her grip. It was enough for Shauna to wriggle out of her arms and dodge out the way.  
  
Saturn cursed again, and hurled herself forward. Shauna looked around for somewhere to run. She hated running from the enemy, but this time it looked like running was going to be the easy option.   
  
Something was happening inside her head. A sort of grey and gunky fog was spreading. Saturn was trying to use mind control on her. Shauna refused to give into it. She couldn't explain how she tried to block it out, she just did it.  
  
Saturn was getting angrier. Snarling, she ran at Shauna again. Shauna waited until the girl was almost upon her before delivering a snap kick to her stomach, sending her flying backwards.  
  
Within minutes Saturn was on her feet. Shauna was ready for a fight, but when she looked around, Saturn was gone. She blinked in confusion. Something wasn't right there. She couldn't have just disappeared into thin air.  
  
Shauna remained in the middle of the street, silent, listening. There wasn't a soul to be seen in her surroundings, everywhere was dark and empty. She scowled, hating herself for being unprepared.   
  
She turned around.  
  
"Got ya."  
  
Saturn had been standing behind her. She was grinning unpleasantly. Triumphantly. Before Shauna could do anything Saturn had grabbed her arms and pinned them behind her back. "No more fighting. Learn what your asshole of a boyfriend is really like."  
  
Shauna stared at Saturn, refusing to give into the panic rampaging inside her. Whatever Chase had done to this girl she wasn't going to let it go.   
  
As if thinking about him had brought him into the scene, Chase was there, grabbing Saturn's blonde hair and hurling her off Shauna.  
  
"I'm getting pretty tired of showing up and saving your pathetic ass," Chase said, amused.  
  
Shauna glared at him. "You've never complained about my ass before!"  
  
Chase matched her glare, seeming embarrassed. "That's a different subject."  
  
Saturn had picked herself up, and seemed to realise now that she was outnumbered. She wasn't going to win this fight. "You'll be sorry," she hissed at Chase, like an angry child. "You'll pay." And for a second time that night, she was just simply gone.   
  
Shauna sighed. She looked at Chase, wondering what he had done to make Saturn hate him so much. He was looking in the direction Saturn had gone, distaste obvious in his expression. He glanced back at Shauna to see her eyeing him. "What?"  
  
"Don't *what* me," she snapped at him. "You must have done something to that girl."  
  
Chase just looked at her. "I've done a lot of things to a lot of girls," he protested.   
  
Shauna stared at him in exasperation. What a jerk. Why did she have to be stuck with him for a soulmate? Someone up there must really dislike her. "That's not funny," she snapped. "We've got a serious problem here. You thin she's going to just give up?"  
  
Chase sighed. "I don't remember her," he said, annoyed.  
  
Shauna's eyes rolled. Well, that was hardly a surprise. She grabbed his arm and started yanking him off in direction of the Daybreak research centre. "Let's go find out what you've done this time."  
  
* * *  
  
Shauna wasn't exactly sure how she was supposed to feel as the group got together at the Daybreak research centre. She wasn't particularly keen on learning about what Chase had been like in the past.  
  
Being stuck with him for a soulmate in the present was hard enough. This Saturn Redfern person was a mystery. She hadn't shown up at school the next day. No one seemed too broken up about it.  
  
It just made her more and more suspicious. She had come to the school with a plan - clearly revenge for whatever Chase had done to her. Chase stood around the edges, lurking in the shadows. He didn't look any happier than she did.  
  
"If this girl hates you so much, why didn't she just kill you straight away?" Luna asked from her computer terminal, rather smugly.   
  
It was a good question. Shauna wondered the same thing herself.   
  
Chase just shrugged. "How the hell should I know?" he muttered sullenly.   
  
Shauna's eyes rolled. Why did he always have to be so damn difficult? Why did she get stuck with him? Life just wasn't fair sometimes.   
  
"Okay, I'm getting something," Senna announced. Everyone crowded round her terminal, looking to see what she had frowned. "You've been naughty, Chase."  
  
"What's new?" Dakota snorted.   
  
Shauna had to control herself not to hit the irritating witch. She seemed to get a habit of stealing all of Shauna's witty replies lately. "What's he done, then?" She pushed between Luna and Thia, trying to see.   
  
"Apparently Saturn Redfern used to be a human known as Sheila Richards." Senna pointed to the screen and the information she'd found in a Daybreak recruitment file. "Chase here, apparently fed on her and left her for dead. Some Daybreak vampires found her and made her a vampire to save her life."  
  
"And she got rather pissed off," Luna added.   
  
"Seems like it," Senna said. "She wants revenge. She obviously blames Chase for what happened."  
  
"And she's trying to make him miserable by killing his friends?" Thia said with a frown.  
  
Chase snorted in contempt. "She could have done a better job. So far she hasn't done anything or killed anyone to make me miserable." He rolled his eyes and wandered over to the window.  
  
Shauna stared at him in utter disbelief. How could he be such a bastard? She kept forgetting that he was a vampire, after all. She couldn't really blame Saturn for being mad at him and wanting revenge.  
  
She shuddered. Being made a vampire against her will was her worst nightmare. She'd do the same thing if it ever happened to her.   
  
Suddenly she became aware everyone was looking at her. "What?" she asked, not liking their expressions. Even Chase was looking at her, realisation clearly dawning.   
  
"There's one person that would actually effect Mr. Ego over there if something happened to her," Senna pointed out.   
  
Then Shauna got it. "Oh." Damn this soulmate thing. It was going to end up being the death of her yet.   
  
No wonder Saturn kept glaring at her. An insane vampire was after her. Just what she needed.   
  
She was surprised to find Chase had walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace. Okay, maybe he wasn't *all* bad. ~I won't let her get you~ his mental voice said inside her head.  
  
Shauna smiled at him and nodded. She didn't say anything. Mainly because she wasn't sure if she believed him.  
  
* * *   
  
Shauna fought hard to keep her temper. She knew Chase was still hovering behind her. She liked the idea that he was trying to keep her safe and protected from the monsters.   
  
But she didn't actually *need* protection, not from him, of all people. She could handle herself.   
  
This whole mess was his fault as well. Because he'd been stupid and arrogant and careless. He'd turned someone had probably been a fairly nice girl into a homicidal bitch.   
  
Her eyes rolled. It was just typical of a *vampire*. All they cared about was themselves. It was pathetic really. She glanced over her shoulder. He was still back there, following her home.   
  
She was really starting to dislike this crossing. Every time she stopped, it seemed something happened to her. "Stop following me, Chase," she said, irritated.  
  
Chase appeared silently out of the shadows. He looked at her. His expression was almost hurt.   
Shauna glared at him. "Stop following me," she said again. "I don't need your protection."  
  
Chase just met her gaze unflinchingly. "You've said that before and it turned out you did, after all."  
  
"If I remember correctly," she said icily. "Last time we had a psycho problem, *I* was the one who saved *you*."  
  
Chase stood looking at her several minutes. Shauna realised with a sinking feeling she didn't actually like hurting him. She was surprised that he'd even show such emotions to her. But because he was her soulmate, then hiding feelings like this would be impossible for both of them.   
  
"All right," Chase said. "If you don't want protection, then fine." And with that he walked away leaving her alone.  
  
Shauna remained where she was, watching him go. She hadn't expected him to actually listen to her and leave her alone. So if he had, why wasn't she happier?   
  
She turned around and started walking again. Footsteps sounded behind her. She spun around, ready to attack. But there was no one there. Confused, she turned back the way she'd been going.   
  
She barely walked two steps before something hard hit her on the back of the head knocking her out.   
  
* * * 


	6. Part 6

Part 6  
  
Shauna groaned. Her head throbbed, her body felt stiff and immobile. She tried to stretch, only to find she couldn't. Her arms felt particularly weird, strained, something cutting uncomfortably into her wrists. She blinked several times, trying to focus. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was arguing with Chase, being mad at him following her around like a lost puppy, and now...  
  
Her vision was slowly coming back to her. She seemed to be in some sort of building, dilapidated and clearly unused. There was a nail head or something digging into her back. Whatever she was tied to was forcing her to stand upright. "Oh *God*," she moaned allowed as realisation hit. She had been knocked out, taken to some old warehouse and tied to a post.   
  
Saturn Redfern was sitting on an ugly looking green couch with a big smirk on her face. "Headache?" she asked, chuckling cruelly.  
  
Shauna glared at her. "Don't you have anything better to do?"  
  
Saturn continued to smirk in her arrogant, annoying way. "Maybe you need Chase's protection after all."  
  
Shauna didn't answer. She was cursing herself for being so stupid. If only she wasn't so arrogant and head strong herself, she might not be in this mess now. Anyway, it didn't matter. As soon as Chase or Thia and the others realised she was missing they would send someone to look for her. She just had to keep herself alive until then.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" she asked.   
  
Saturn frowned at her. She said one simple word. "Revenge."  
  
Shauna's eyes rolled. Ask a stupid question...It was pretty obvious, but she wanted some more reasons from Saturn, just to kill time, if anything. "A little more than that."  
  
Saturn shrugged, tossing her shimmering hair over her shoulder. "Your boyfriend made me a monster. He took everything that mattered to me." Her lip curled. "So I'm taking what matters to him."  
  
Shauna frowned, not really sure how to talk her way out of this. "Chase didn't change you, that was someone else."  
  
Saturn was on her feet, her eyes blazing. "He *killed* me. He *took* my life when he had no right to."  
  
Shauna struggled against her bonds, trying to tug them apart, get them on that nail head that was digging into her. No luck. Saturn just smirked at her, calming. "Doesn't matter now. I'm getting even."  
  
* * *  
Chase gritted his teeth as he walked up the road to Shauna's house. He didn't know much about how to apologise for being a pain in the ass. He had heard that girls liked flowers and chocolates, but it seemed almost too...tacky for someone like Shauna.   
  
Well, he might as well try. If she told him to get lost again...  
  
What the hell was her problem anyway? So there was a psychotic vampire in town who seemed to have it in for her. Was it so terribly wrong to offer your soulmate a little love and protection?  
  
Of course, shame for him he got stuck with one of those damn independent chicks. Shauna had done nothing but whine and insult him. He wondered why he bothered sometimes.   
  
But he also knew, that if something happened to her, he would never, ever be the same again. Saturn knew exactly to where to hit and how to make him hurt. It was the only bad side he could see to having as soulmate (apart from the fact the girl was a total bitch). He had a weakness.   
  
And Shauna was headstrong, and likely to get herself into trouble. Of course she was too proud to admit to any such thing. They needed to talk about some issues.   
  
He rang the doorbell to her house. Her mother answered the door, looking slightly flustered. "Sorry, Chase, Shauna isn't home right now."  
  
Chase sighed. "Typical of my luck," he muttered. "Did she go out?"  
  
Mrs. Arlin shook her head. "She hasn't been in since yesterday. We just assumed she stayed with one of her friends last night."  
  
Chase frowned. He left the flowers and candy at Shauna's house before heading home. A sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach was telling him something very, very bad had happened.   
  
What, was the question.   
  
* * *  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chase tried to tell himself that when he got to school the following morning that Shauna would be there. Her mother was right, she had gone to stay at a friend's house and just forgotten to tell her.  
  
He didn't want to be right about something happening to her. He usually got most things wrong, so why couldn't he keep that up this time? He'd called both Thia and Senna, and Shauna wasn't with either of them. Impulsively he'd even called Luna.   
  
Luna had just laughed at him. He hadn't bothered calling Dakota, he knew Shauna couldn't stand the wimpy little witch.   
  
Shauna wasn't in her seat in first period. He noticed Senna and Thia were looking worried as well. "You guys haven't seen her yet?" he asked.  
  
"No, no one's seen her in about two days."  
  
Chase felt as if a pit had opened up inside him. He was falling, falling and would never stop. Not until Shauna was safe in his arms again. Beside him, Luna snorted.   
  
"Get over it, it's not that big a loss."  
  
Chase glared at her. "That's easy for you to say," he snapped. He still found it hard to believe he was feeling like this over Shauna Arlin, of all people. She had been a total bitch to him, and now if something happened to her, he was feeling like he couldn't go on?  
  
"That's what being soulmates is all about," Thia said with a slight smile.  
  
Chase glared at her. "Witches can't read minds." He paused. "As far as I know."  
  
Senna snorted. "We don't *have* to read your mind, it's written all over your face."  
  
"Where's that new girl?" Luna asked, glancing around. "She hasn't been around for a while either."  
  
Saturn. The vampire he'd been responsible for, who hated him and Shauna, and was trying to kill off their friends to make them miserable, only not doing a very good job of it. Saturn was sauntering into the classroom, a rather smug expression on her stunning features. Before Chase could jump over the desks and hit her, Thia and Senna grabbed his arms, holding him back.  
  
"It's *her* fault!" he hissed in fury. "She has Shauna!"  
  
"This is *not* the time or place for a fight!" Thia snapped back. "We'll deal with her later." She said it distinctly loud enough for Saturn to hear. Chase jerked free and took his seat. Saturn wasn't going to get away with this. He'd make sure of it personally.  
  
* * *  
  
Shauna's eyes closed in frustration as she struggled with the ropes binding her to the post. She had, thankfully, been left alone. Saturn had left her to go to school. Surely someone had noticed she was missing by now.  
  
So why wasn't someone rushing in to rescue her? Why did she have to be so headstrong? She had a soulmate who loved her and had wanted to protect her, she had told him to get lost, and now look where it had gotten her.   
  
Tied up and helpless with an insane vampire bent on revenge. Well, minus the vampire at the moment. When Saturn came home, Saturn was going to kill her.  
  
Why she hadn't done it yet was confusing. Maybe Saturn just wanted to make the mental torture last a little longer, much more affective than anything physical she could have done.   
  
Leaving her like this, alone with stressed out thoughts, worrying whether or not anyone would figure out where she was and come and save her. When Chase had been in danger she had managed to find him and save him.  
  
Through their connection she had known something was wrong. He *must* know something had happened to her. Or what if he was pissed at her for the way she'd treated him and had left her to deal with her problems on her own like she'd asked? She wouldn't blame him if he had.  
  
She tugged pointlessly at the ropes that held her. Some sort of wood-based cord so there was no hope in breaking free, no nail or anything to saw it against, no nothing. Tears of frustration managed to seep their way down her cheeks. Shauna couldn't ever remember being this helpless before, and hated the feeling.  
  
~Come on Chase,~ she thought desperately. ~Get off your ass and save me!~  
  
* * * 


	7. Part 7

Part 7  
  
Saturn floated through the boring school day almost sailing. This was exactly the type of reaction she had been hoping for. Chase was finally behaving the way he should. Scared, alarmed, angry, panicking...it was just too good.  
  
And to make things even more fun for her, his stupid little Daybreak friends wouldn't let him near her to attack. He couldn't accuse her of doing anything to Shauna without risking exposure or sounding totally off his head.  
  
For once, it was actually fun to be the bad guy. She had never really adjusted to Night World life until she'd come here. She had hated the idea of being forced to be such a monster, the whole vampires-were-real thing just didn't appeal to her.  
  
And now, she was finally starting to get the hang of it. Maybe she should thank Chase, she thought with dry humour, well, just before she killed him seemed like an appropriate time to do that.  
  
Then where would she go? Saturn wasn't really paying attention to any of her teachers that day, musing about her own life was more interesting. Where could she go after this? She had no plans of sticking around here. Black Falls was too much a Daybreak town for her, she'd grown tried of them.  
  
She could go to a large city, perhaps, the Night World were supposed to have clubs and things for its true members, maybe they could be fun...  
  
"Where is she? What have you done with her?" Chase's angry voice rudely interrupted Saturn's thoughts. His hand gripped her arms.  
  
Saturn looked down at him in distaste, vaguely realising the school day had ended. Students were flooding out the exists. Chase was pulling her away from the main crowd.  
  
She eyed him, wondering what to do. She could always lie of course, but then he'd be back when he found out. Shauna didn't know where she was, she couldn't have gotten some sort of message to him...  
  
An idea started to form in her mind. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it before. A slow smile started spreading across her pretty face. Chase just glared at her furiously, like an animal. "You're crazy," he said bluntly.   
  
Saturn considered this a moment. "You know, you're probably right," she agreed. "But if I am, it's your fault."  
  
Guilt flashed briefly in Chase's blue eyes, the quickly flew away replaced by his burning anger at her - or was it his love for his missing soulmate? Saturn didn't know, and didn't really care.   
  
  
  
"Why don't you come with me?" she suggested, yanking her arm away from him. "We'll get this whole silly thing sorted out."  
  
Chase looked at her suspiciously for several minutes. "All right," he said finally. "No tricks."  
  
Saturn pouted at him. But of course, he was incredibly stupid. Then again, she thought, he was a boy, so what did she expect? At least things were looking up for her.  
  
* * *  
Thia had grown increasingly worried about Shauna through out the day. She had assumed that Shauna was just fine. Shauna knew how to take care of herself. Granted, there was a psycho evil vampire in town who seemed to have it in for her and Chase, but it wasn't like *that* had never happened before.  
  
They'd come through it fine. So why was this time worrying her? They were both perfectly competent, and despite what they said, they were both crazy about each other, and that should be all they needed.  
  
"I think we've got a problem," Senna was running in her direction.   
  
Thia frowned. Problems here with their group, were never anything good. Normally it meant someone had done something incredibly stupid and was about to go and get themselves killed. "Now what?" she asked, slightly irritated.   
  
"I've just seen Chase leaving with Saturn," Senna said, panting.  
  
Thia frowned. "But they hate each other."  
  
Senna nodded. "Exactly. I've sent Luna and Dakota after them, they're going to call when they get to wherever Chase and Saturn are going."  
  
Thia sighed heavily, about to answer when Senna's cell phone rang. "What'd they say?"  
  
"Come on," Senna said, grabbing Thia's arm and pulling her along. "Maybe we won't be too late."  
  
* * * 


	8. Part 8

Part 8  
  
Shauna found herself wishing she knew what time it was. She couldn't see her wrist watch, what with her hands being tied. There was no clock in the warehouse, of course.   
  
Saturn hadn't come home from school yet. When school ended that didn't necessarily mean she was going to come here, though. She couldn't leave Shauna here to starve, that wouldn't be much of a plan...  
  
Then again, Saturn was insane, so Shauna didn't even want to think what the crazy bitch reckoned a good plan was.  
  
"You're out your fucking mind. What the hell are we doing here?"  
  
Shauna blinked, recognising Chase's voice. Huh? How had he managed to find her so quickly? Or was it like when that stupid Lina or whatever her name was had taken him, and she had just known where to go to find him?  
  
After she'd saved his life, why the hell wasn't he coming to save hers? Or, well, he was actually here.  
  
"Stop saying that! We get the point already. You think I'm nuts." That was Saturn. Saturn was with Chase? Oh no. That couldn't mean anything good.  
  
Shauna heard keys turn in a lock and the door opened, dusty light spilling into the dark warehouse. Chase was frowning, his eyes moving slowly around the room, narrowing when he saw Shauna.  
  
"You bitch," he swore at Saturn. "You tricked me! You said we were going to sort this stupid mess out."  
  
Saturn nodded. "We are. One way or another, we are."  
  
"And you were stupid enough to trust her? What the hell were you thinking?" Shauna snapped at Chase, shaking her head in disgust. Typical stupid men!  
  
Chase glared back at her. "This is getting tired. Why don't you show a little appreciation for once? I *was* coming to save you." He folded his arms petulantly. "Now I'm thinking about just letting her kill you."  
  
"Suits me," Saturn said, turning to him with a dazzling smile. There was a large wooden stake in her hand. "This kills more than just vampires," she added proudly.   
  
Shauna's eyes rolled. Why didn't she figure something like this would happen? Chase was throwing himself on top of Saturn, in a desperate struggle to get the stake. Before she could cry out Thia and Senna came in, staking Saturn as they passed and untying her from the pole.  
* * *  
  
Later that night Shauna and Chase were snuggled on Shauna's couch, watching a movie. "Are there any other psycho ex-girlfriends of yours I should know about?" she asked, stuffing a handful of popcorn in her mouth.  
  
Chase sighed. "Give me a break, okay?"  
  
Shauna sighed. She knew that getting kidnapped and nearly killed had been her own fault. The last little scene had seemed somewhat too - easy - for her, the rescue had almost been like something from a TV show, coming in at the last minute and killing the bad vampire.  
  
At least Saturn was out of the picture. No one was likely to miss her, and certainly not Shauna. She knew Chase had only been trying to help her. Despite all their problems, she finally realised he did love her, and she loved him.  
  
Their soulmate connection was finally starting to mean something to her, rather than just being an annoyance.   
  
"So what are we going to do about us?" he asked, pulling her close.  
  
Shauna shrugged. "Just keep trying, I guess. We'll get there eventually." She wouldn't give herself completely to him, not yet. She wasn't one of those girls who just let their soulmate run their life. She wanted to keep her own personality.  
  
"If you do that, I'll end up shooting you," he muttered in her ear.   
  
"Shut up," she said, finding herself smiling. "You know I love you, really."   
  
Chase's eyebrow raised. "I didn't but I do now."  
  
Second time around, it looked like everything was going back to normal. As normal as things could get in this town, she supposed.   
  
Hopefully, they would stay that way.  
  
THE END. 


End file.
